Electrical connectors provide signal connections between electronic devices using electrically-conductive contacts, or electrical contacts. In some applications, an electrical connector provides a connectable interface between one or more substrates, e.g., printed circuit boards. One example electrical connector assembly can include a first electrical connector, such as a receptacle connector, that can be mounted to a first substrate, and a complementary second electrical connector, such as a header connector, that can be mounted to a second substrate. Typically, a plurality of electrical contacts of the receptacle connector is adapted to mate with a corresponding plurality of electrical contacts of the header connector. For instance, the electrical contacts of the receptacle connector can receive the electrical contacts of the header connector or otherwise mate with the electrical contacts of the header connector so as to establish an electrical connection between the electrical contacts of the receptacle connector and the electrical contacts of the header connector.
The electrical contacts of both the header and receptacle connectors typically include a respective plurality of signal contacts and a respective plurality of ground contacts. Often, the signal contacts are so closely spaced that undesirable interference, or “cross talk,” occurs between adjacent signal contacts. As used herein, the term “adjacent” refers to contacts (or rows or columns) that are next to one another. Cross talk occurs when one signal contact induces electrical interference in an adjacent signal contact due to intermingling electrical fields, thereby compromising signal integrity. With electronic device miniaturization and high speed, high signal integrity electronic communications becoming more prevalent, the reduction of cross talk becomes a significant factor in connector design.